12 entryways that make a great first impression
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
First impressions count. And the room that immediately sets the tone for the rest of your home is the entry. Mine, for instance, (pictured above) introduces the Art Deco backdrop of my 1930s Manhattan apartment and my love for global flavors.
Beyond greeting house guests, an entryway or foyer serve to welcome you, the homeowner, back to your own personal oasis, or to confidently see you off to the outside world. The transition space should offer a comfortable spot to drop off your wallet or sunglasses, a nice mirror to check your hair before going out, and — ideally — a side chair or stool to help get your shoes on and off.
Extra touches like a floral arrangement and flattering lighting go a long way to set a welcoming mood, too. And organizing accessories such as a leather tray for keys, or a vintage hook rack for hanging jackets, help keep clutter to a minimum.
Of course, the most important greeting for your visitors will be your welcoming smile. But good interior design doesn’t hurt, either. So, to inspire you, I’ve put together a selection of 12 beautiful, thoughtfully designed home entry spaces.
- Ksenya, founder of Time & Place Interiors
The entry is a great spot to place statement furniture to wow guests (and please yourself). In this designer’s SoHo loft, a contemporary handmade mirror by Polish design studio Zieta hangs above a Rose Uniacke console. Beneath is a vintage Billy Baldwin X-bench.
Design: Jessie Schuster / Photo: Douglas Friedman
Sometimes foyers can be dark, especially in New York apartments where daylight from a window often doesn’t reach the front door. Doubling down on the moody vibe with saturated paint can create a dramatic entrance (pun intended). In this Greenwich Village Pre-War, the blue feels powerful but unifying. The ceiling light is a 1930s fixture, and the furniture is a mix of Scandinavian and Italian Mid Century designs.
Design: Bachman Brown Design / Photo: Eric Petschek
Hanging a mirror perpendicular to a window that’s on the opposite side of the space bounces light — another trick that can be employed in foyers without direct access to daylight. For my West Village interior, I positioned a Danish teak 1950s mirror close to the entrance, above a contemporary marble top console.
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
To make design authentic, don’t focus too narrowly on a single style. Instead, try introducing an insouciant touch, by introducing an unexpected moment. Take inspiration from this Eames wire chair that sneaks into a traditional Victorian townhouse front hall.
Design: Paul West / Photo courtesy of The Modern House
Indeed, the most tastefully decorated spaces mix modern and traditional styles, and often have a quirky element to them. This Paris apartment opens to a humorous antique ostrich painting above a coral-themed mini shelf.
Design: Dezso Interiors / Photo: Martina Maffini
Creative use of antiques always make for a charming welcome in an entry design. Here’s a Brooklyn Heights front hall where an heirloom church pew provides seating. The scalloped marble table in the background, with a mini round mirror above, adds to the charm.
Design: Sandeep Salter / Photo: Jonathan Pilkington
You can certainly treat your foyer as a place to show off your art collection, like in this luxurious Tribeca apartment where a a work by Elaine de Kooning hangs above a custom cabinet.
Design: Sandra Weingort / Photo: Adrian Gaut
Even if you have limited floor space to work with, the entrance is still a great spot to convey your personality through artworks. Here, a stylist created a mini art gallery in his small entryway, centered around an antique Japanese chest.
Design: Scott Newkirk / Photo: Chris Edwards
With some creativity, you can fashion an entryway even in a home that doesn’t have any dedicated foyer space at all. In this Brooklyn apartment, just a few feet of wall space have been decorated to build a buffer between the front door and the living room.
Design: Casey Kenyon / Photo: Roland Bello
By the way, “limited space” can mean teeny-tiny, where just one or two judicious design decisions are critical. Here’s a cute entry where a vintage mirror on a peg rail does just the trick.
Design: Allprace / Photo: Jessica Alexander
Of course, if you have a Brooklyn brownstone with gorgeous architectural detailing in the foyer, all you really need are a beautiful pendant light (like this Apparatus fixture) and a great vintage rug to complete your design of a stately historic home.
Design: BarlisWedlick / Photo: Joshua McHugh
Welcome good design into your life.
Time & Place Interiors designs spaces for discerning New Yorkers who want to feel pride in welcoming guests and pleasure each time they return home. Using her signature mix of vintage and modern design, founder Ksenya Malina crafts rooms that are luxurious, personalized, and highly curated. Use the link below to schedule a free 20-minute information call with Ksenya to discuss design possibilities for your own space:
